Health and Social Care Bill

The Health Professions Council (HPC) welcomes the publication of the government’s Health and Social Care Bill published on 19 January 2011.

The Bill stipulates that the new name for the HPC which, subject to parliamentary approval, will be the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) once the Register opens to social workers.

The Bill lays out the abolition of the General Social Care Council (GSCC) and provides for the regulation of social workers in England to become the responsibility of the renamed Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).

The Health and Social Care Bill also states that:

• Social workers in England will need to register with HCPC in order to practice in England as a social worker.

• However, this duty will not apply to a person who is registered with one of the Care Councils of Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland, and who is practicing in England on a temporary basis.

• all appeals against the decisions of the HCPC relating to a social worker will be heard by a county court or the High Court Justice in England and Wales.

• that HCPC may keep voluntary registers for unregulated professionals.

The HPC is committed to maintaining good working relationships with the social work profession, government departments, education providers, user groups and other stakeholders as well as our colleagues in the regulatory councils in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

We continue to work closely with the GSCC to ensure a smooth transition and to welcome social workers into a multi professional regulatory body. Subject to legislative approval, we anticipate the Register will open in July 2012.